Folding umbrella



(No Model.) 2 Sheetsb-Sheet 1.

H. C. WARD. FOLDING UMBRELLA.

No. 480,482. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. C. WARD. FOLDING UMBRELLA.

No. 480,432. Patented Aug. 91892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. WARD, OF CHIPPFNVA LAKE, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,482, dated August 9, 1892i;-

Application filed October 21, 1891. Serial No. l109,421. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HENRY C. WARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chippewa Lake, in the county of Mecosta and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Folding Umbrella, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding unbrellas; and it has for its object to provide an umbrella of this class which can be folded into a small and compact form and can be easily carried in a grip or placed in other receptacles of small compass, and thus is capable of easy transportation, while at the same time it pro-I vides a construction strong and durable and which when the umbrella is opened provides an article of equal strength with umbrellas of the ordinary type which are not folded.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel lock-hinge and the arrangement and the applications thereof to an umbrella, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of an umbrella constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being opened. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the same folded. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail View of the rib-hinge in its opened or locked position. Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the same folded. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the rib-hinge, showing the two members in position for assembling. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the handle-coupling. Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents the stick of my improved umbrella and which is illustrated in the drawings as comprising three distinct sections ce d a, which are provided at their ends, which are designed to be coupled together, with the ferrules a. The notch and intermediate section of the stick are provided with the projecting screw-threaded bolts a2, bifurcated at their ends, as at d3, and securely Vclamped to the adjacent sections by means of the aforesaid ferrules, while the ferrule a of the handlesection and that ferrule of the intermediate section adjacent to the notch-section are provided with the interiorly-threaded hollow portion h4, within which hollow portion the headed bolt d5 is designed to loosely work, but is prevented from being withdrawn through said threaded opening by means of the flange or head a6, while its protruding end is provided with a bifurcated portion a", that is engaged by the coupling-link B, that is pivoted between said bifurcated end of said bolt a5 and the bifurcated end of the bolt a2. It can be readily seen that the bolt a5 and the couplinglink B may be shoved within the hollow threaded ferrule, while the threaded bolt o? may be screwed therein, thus securely coupling the several members of the stick securely together and providing a `connection which, while providing astrong stick, hides the parts which couple the sections together and which, when the bolt a2 is unscrewed from within the threaded ferrule, provides a coupling which allows the intermediate section to be folded up against the notch-section, while the handle-section proper folds downward, and thus allows the stick to be folded within the umbrella-frame and in a small compass.

Near the end of the notch-section of the stick is secured the ordinary notched collar C, to which are pivoted the inner ends of the ribs D, over which the cover E of the umbrella is stretched, and in the present instance said ribs D comprise the folding-sections d and d', respectively, which are coupled together by means of the folding lock-hinges F. Said lock-hinges couple the ends of the rib-sections together and themselves comprise the opposing and jointed sections f and f', respectively, the member f being illustrated in the drawings as receiving the end of the rib-section d, while the other member f is illustrated as being rigidly connected with the end of the outer rib-section d', that is designed to be folded within the portion of the cover stretched over the inner rib-section d in a manner that will be apparent. The member f', which is connected to the outer rib-sections d', is provided with the lugs f2, while the opposite member f, which is connected to the inner rib-sections d, is provided with the projecting tongue f3, provided with the longitudinally-disposed slot f4, formed in the face thereof, said tongue being designed to work between the lugs of the opposing member and being jointed therein by means of the pivot-boltf5, passing through said lugs and the slot in the tongue therein,

`while said member f is further provided with the inwardly-projecting lug f6, to which are pivotedthebraces G,pivoted also to the runner H, working on the notch-section of the stick and adapted to open and close the ribs of the umbrella in the ordinary manner and working over and against the ordinary springcatches 7l, with which umbrellas are usually provided. It can be readily seen now that the folded umbrella may he opened by sliding the runner from its position adjacent to the notch until it is locked by the catch h, thus opening thein ner rib-section and allowingtheouter ribsection d ,folded up within the inner portion of the umbrella, to be readily straightened out in View of the hinge-coupling F joining the same together, and that by pressing the outer rib-sections in a straight line with the inner sections the slot near the outer end of the tongue in the inner of the members of said hinge will allow the pivot-pinf5 to slide Within, which action will cause the tongue to be locked within the lugs of the outer member of the hinge,inasmuch as the joint cannot be broken until the said hinge members are drawn away from each other sufciently to allow the tongue of one to clear the top portion of the other, beneath which the said tongue is located. It can be readily seen now that the outer portion of the umbrella-frame may be folded up Within the inner portion, as may also be the sectional stick, and thus providing a folding umbrella which may be confined in an exceedinglysmally compass, while at the same time there is provided a strong and rigidly-connected article fully answering all the requirements 0f an umbrella.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an umbrella, the combination, with a sectional stick, of the ribs made in two parts and hinged together by an inwardly-breaking lock-hinge and the radial braces fixedly pivsame in their open position and to allow the outer rib-sections to be folded only up and under the inner portion of the cover and the ribs, and the radial stretchers ixedly pivoted to the inner portions of said hinges and to the sliding runner, substantially as set forth.

3. In an umbrella, the combination, with a sectional stick, of the ribs made in two parts, inwardly-breaking lock-hinges joining the ribsections together, said hinges comprising the opposite members, one member of which is provided with parallel lugs and the other member with a projecting tongue having a slot near its outer end and adapted to work within the lugs of the opposite member and over a pivot bolt or pin passing through said lugs and said slot, and the radial braces pivoted to the inner members of said hinges and to the sliding runner, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. WARD. Witnesses:

C. H. HARGER, RHEUBIN BURT. 

